Founded by 22-year-old Robert M. Beall Sr. as a dry goods store in Bradenton, Fla. with products that didn’t extend over $1, Beall’s is now a major employer in Florida as well as a valued asset to all the communities it serves throughout the country, with more than 560 retail stores spread across the Sun Belt, from Florida to California.

Profile

Headquarters: Bradenton, Fla.

Founding year: 1915

Number of locations as of January 2011: more than 535, including those of subsidiaries

Chains: Bealls Florida, Bealls Outlet, Burkes Outlet Stores

In 1986, for example, Bealls established a 401K plan enabling employees to purchase company stock as an investment option. Bob Beall, Robert’s son, believed it was important for employees to be able to own company stock and share in the growth of the company. Today, many of Bealls’ employees are stockholders.

Today, Bealls exceeds a billion dollars in annual sales, with more than 535 stores and an e-commerce website, www.beallsflorida.com. Almost 100 years after it began, Bealls continues to be a destination of choice for lifestyle-right and priced-right apparel and home merchandise.